Exhibitions

March 2014: March 2014: Htein Lin Solo Show: Beyond the Itch

On Wednesday evening Htein Lins' solo exhibition opened in River II. Guests were enthralled to watch Htein Lin create one his signature pieces, and then enthusiastically pitched in when he invited them to don the rubber gloves join him in the finger painting. There was a Myanmar Moment when the power deserted the whole block, but after 20 minutes, Kyaw Soe Moe, our clever engineer managed to rig a line to a nearby generator to bring the lights back on.

The title of the show - "Beyond the Itch" came about while Htein Lin's wife - Vicky Bowman - and I were reflecting on the seven years since Htein Lin did his last solo show in River Gallery. For most of that time, Htein Lin was living in the UK, unable to return to Myanmar because of his political activism. Now he is back, close to the source of his artistic inspiration once more and engaged on a range of creative projects. So, seven years on, we were delighted to host his show, which featured recent works, plus a number of stunning pieces from Htien Lin's own collection. Check out the "Last Days of Buddha" and "Other World", which to my mind, should be housed in museums.

The write-up gives more information about Htein Lin's artistic journey, and a life which has had some desperately dark periods. But the spirit of this extraordinary man is undimmed by these experiences, his creative vision stronger than ever.